Florida International University

Interior Architecture

IND Grad 3

Retail Environments

Final Project

Student Esperanza MuiñoInstructor: Stephanie Morales

Design DistrictSite Analysis

HISTORY

The Design District was made up primarily of old low-

rise warehouses that have been converted into retail

spaces, art galleries, restaurants and cafés, but now

includes a large amount of new construction, primarily for

high-end retail. The Design District is in the crossroads of

many prominent Miami neighborhoods, with the

artsy Wynwood neighborhood to the south, Lemon City

(Little Haiti) and the historic 1920s Buena

Vista neighborhood to the north, and the wealthy Upper

East Side neighborhoods to the east. After decades of

falling to urban decay, the Design District has risen to

fame as a destination for the arts, design, and fashion.

2015

Population 50,505

25,545 males and 24,962 females

Median Age 35

It is home to over 130 art galleries,

showrooms, creative services, architecture

firms, luxury fashion stores, antiques dealers,

eateries and bars

Design District

The Design District is served

by Metrobus throughout the area, the City of

Miami Trolley Biscayne-Brickell route and by

the Miami Metrorail.

The District is home to many flagship luxury stores

including Hermès, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Christian

Louboutin, Prada,Celine and more. Currently, there are over 70 stores

open in the District, with another 60 set to open by mid-2017.

It is roughly divided by NE 36th Street to the south, NE 43rd Street to the north,

NW 1st Avenue to the west and Biscayne Boulevard (US 1) to the east.

DEMOGRAPHICS

TRANSPORTATION

SHOPPING

LOCATION

SUN ANALYSIS

American GirlExisting Stores

EXISTING STORES

Water Tower Place Chicago

In 1998, the Pleasant Company opened American Girl

Place, a 52,000-square-foot retail store and entertainment

venue which featured a "whimsical" café and a 150-seat

theater in Chicago on Michigan Avenue .

The Water Tower Place features a stunning eight-level atrium and offers three levels of American Girl Place, Macy’s and more than 100 stores

and unique dining options — many of which are exclusive to downtown Chicago. WTP features an impressive retail mix of contemporary

brands including Abercrombie & Fitch, Sephora, Tourneau, Tumi, Akira, Cusp by Neiman Marcus, Coach, Lacoste, bebe, Ann Taylor, Banana

Republic and many more.

Designed by Gensler—Architecture, Design & Planning Worldwide.

Everything is 38 inches high. That is the average height of a nine-year-old girl.

"We give girls chocolate cake with vitamins. Our books are exciting, our magazine is fun, and the dolls and accessories are pretty. But more

important, they give young girls a sense of self and an understanding of where they came from and who they are today."~Pleasant T. Rowland, founder.

American Girl Place

NYC

Create a place that would combine the educational with the

entertainment objectives of the American Girl brand through

experiences that celebrate girlhood, and enhance mother-

daughter relationships. “It’s less about shopping than it is about

having an interactive, meaningful experience.”

American Girl NYC Purpose

Design & Branding Facts

Designed by Gensler—Architecture, Design & Planning Worldwide.

In addition to architecture and interior-design services, Gensler provided graphic design and custom fixtures and furnishings design.

42,000-square-foot, three-floor space on Fifth Avenue NYC.

Everything is 38 inches high. That is the average height of a nine-year-old girl.

The store includes boutiques, a cafe, and a theater on the first three floors and mezzanine, with office and support functions on the fifth and basement levels.

Dolls cost around $115 without accessories as of December 2014. Buyers can easily spend more than $600 for a doll, outfits, accessories and lunch in the

company's store in New York

The 1925, 13-story building’s wide, column-free spaces and high ceilings allowed Gensler to design both cozy corners and grand atriums

Carefully planned circulation areas offer comfortable seating areas, and accommodate strollers, parents, and children of all sizes.

Details such as terrazzo flooring in primary circulation areas and heavy cornice molding at the ceilings create a traditional flavor in keeping with the brand

and its sophisticated surroundings.

Awnings of the brand’s signature berry red adorn 20-foot-high windows that invitingly reveal the interiors, while etched stars referencing the American Girl

logo appear in the top portion of the windows.

Gensler customized lighting, carpet, and fabrics to create whimsical touches in keeping with the brand.

Branding Concept.

Feature spaces such as: Café, Salon, Book Store, Boutique, Theater,

etc.

Scale: 38 inches high, the average height of a nine-year-old girl.

Column-free spaces.

High ceilings.

Circulation areas offering comfortable seating areas, and

accommodation for strollers, parents, and children of all sizes.

Keep Improve

Use of more luxury and sustainable materials. Carpets, fabric and

furnishings are very important.

More careful design of light and colors.

Incorporation of Florida Traditions and Culture, and

customization.

Engagement with more charities and community programs.

What we can Keep & What we can Improve

American GirlUsers & Consumers

CONSUMERS

TO OUR COSTUMERS

You think about friendship

The key to long-term customer loyalty is customer experience.

Companies around the world are adopting a customer experience

approach to meet their marketing needs.

The American Girl Doll Company takes the cake, literally, when it

comes to earning customer loyalty through emotional engagement via

the customer experience.

The American Girl Doll Place experiences. Inside their “stores,” there

are customized bistros with signature Treat Seats for girls (or boys) and

their dolls. The dolls are given “doll-sized” silverware and teacups. After

celebrating a special event with family, friends and their dolls, the child

receives a personalized note to remember “their special day.” If girl

forgets her doll, the American Girl Place has extras just in case.

"We give girls chocolate cake with vitamins. Our books are exciting, our magazine is fun, and the

dolls and accessories are pretty. But more important, they give young girls a sense of self and an understanding of where they came from and who they are today."~Pleasant T. Rowland, founder.

Branding Analysis

ELEGANCE & LUXURY

PAST & PRESENT

TRANSPARENT & DELICATE

PLEASURE & BRIGHTNESS

DREAMS

American GirlBrand Timeline

In 1986 Rowland founded the

Pleasant Company, which manufactures the"American Girl" dolls, books andaccessories. Rowland was inspired to createthe American Girl brand because of herlongstanding interest in history.

In 1998 Rowland sold the Pleasant

Company (now American Girl) to Mattel for $700

million.

35 STORES

GOALSThe goal was to make history personal and also to fill a

gap in the market: there were baby dolls and Barbie

dolls, but no dolls designed to be the age of girls

who were actually playing with them. When Rowland

began telling people about her idea she was "met with

disbelief and patronizing tolerance, summarized as,

'Are you kidding? Historical dolls in the day and age of

Barbie?'"

The flagship and first store debuted in Chicago followed by stores

in New York City and Los Angeles.

Historical Characters" in order to give more attention to the customizable "My

American Girl" (advertised as a doll that looks "just like you!") and the annual

"Girl of the Year." These product lines offer customizable dolls who reflect only the

present time period and appearance of contemporary girls. Girls of the Year have

two biographical books, compared to the six provided for each historical character.

PLEASANT COMPANY & AMERICAN GIRL

Inspiration

To provide a doll the same age as the child who would be playing with it and present it as a friend rather than a baby to take

care of or an adult to be like in the future, as at the time there were few long-term doll lines that focused on a girl at the

ages of eight to ten; most popular dolls were marketed as either babies to care for, fashion, or adult- or teenage hood to later

aspire to.

American Girl Dolls, the brand that had a deep impact

on the formative years of thousands of girls who grew

up in the nineties, was originally founded in 1986

with three dolls— Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly.

Each doll came with a history and a personality which

was revealed through a six-book series.

The initial focus of the brand was on the historical characters, starting

with the original three from 1986—Scandinavian farm steader Kirsten,

Victorian aristocrat Samantha, and World War II patriot Molly—who

were soon joined by Felicity, a tomboy from colonial days, and Addie,

who bravely escapes from slavery on the eve of the Civil War.

Impact

Focus

Another reason was to offer a chance to teach history to children

using the method of a character near their age, offering a smaller

personal focus for largely arching historical time periods and

giving a personal focus from a character whom they could relate

to.

Product Line Analysis

Product Line

Dolls

Books & Movies

Twins

Product LineClothes

Accessories

Product LineServices

Product LineHierarchy

25%

15%

10%15%

15%

15%

10%

Dolls Showroom Restrooms/OfficeClothes Books & Movies BoutiqueBistro Café

Product Mix Chart

Concept. Program & Diagrams

“A Place where Fantasy is timeless, Imagination has no age

& Dreams are forever...”

Program Analysis

Diagrams

Circulation Programming Process

Girl of the Year

Showroom

Book Display

Bitty Twins

Truly Me

Circulation

Bitty Baby

Be forever

Support Spaces

Stairs

First Floor

Boutique

Café Bistro

Support Spaces

Circulation

Stairs

Second Floor

The Design

Display Model 1”-1’ scale

Models

Display Model 1”-1’ scaleStore Front Model 1/4”-1’

scale

Concept Model 1/2”-1’ scale

First Floor Plan

Pink Terrazzo Purple Terrazzo Interface Purple Carpet

Armstrong WoodFlooring

Interface Pink Carpet

Pink Terrazzo Structural Glass Flooring

Second Floor Plan

PlansA

A

B

B

First Floor Reflecting Ceiling Plan

A

B

C

650 lumens3000K LED concealed cove, 120 volts.

LEGEND

6” LED 12W Recessed Accent Luminaire3200K .

Second Floor Reflecting Ceiling Plan

Store Front

ALCOTEX Anodized aluminum laminated storefront wall panels.

Sections

STORE SECTION A

STORE SECTION B

3D Interior Elevations

Boutique

Girl of the YearBe Forever

Café Bistro

Displays

Girl of the Year

Be Forever

Books

Truly Me

Bitty Twins

Bitty Babies

Displays Materials and Lighting

Pink Translucent Corian

Purple Translucent Corian

Purple Aluminum

Pink Aluminum

Store Renders

Girl of the Year

Be For Ever

Truly Me

Bitty Babies

Books Display

Showroom

Boutique

Café Bistro

Thank You